Every news from Papua New Guinea becomes increasingly depressing

By Paul Oates

Looking at the news from PNG has become increasingly depressing. When an expensive jet arrives to on Moresby's tarmac to ferry those large, overstuffed shirted 'elites' around and who are lucky enough to toast the arrival with Champagne while at the same time, their country's hospitals, schools and public facilities are non existent, must surely explain what's wrong.

Check out my conjecture in the following article below:

http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2009/10/has-png-passed-the-point-of-no-return.html

PNG does not have a democratic government any more. It has had an oligarchy for some time that is led by EMPTY (read M.T.) promises. 2012 will see no change to the status quo, given that the current 'kitchen cabinet' and their foreign backers will not allow any change to occur. A plan that pretends to get PNG back to where it should be by 2050 is just a convenient 'pie in the sky' that should fool no one.

There just appears to be no one with enough guts or ability to use what procedures there are currently in place to oust the perpetrators of the current regime. Consequently, what we are really looking at is a typical dictatorship masquerading as a PNG democracy. How has this happened one might well ask? That question usually leads to a blame game where people lash about trying to find someone, anyone really, to blame for their own actions. Prior to the last general election in PNG, there was a clear credibility gap between MT Somare and the Mekere Morauta led team.

Why did Somare retain power? Because he had the power in the first place and used it, by promising wealth and power to the majority who were elected, to keep him in power. It has been postulated elsewhere that this situation is merely the continuation of the traditional PNG 'Big man' culture and that PNG voters just voted for their own bigmen. These 'bigmen' then joined those who promised the best deal.

While ever this stumbling block of traditional culture continues across PNG at the village and Provincial level, there will be no change to what everyone from the Governor General down, acknowledges is the real problem. The real issue will be how to stop a new dictator arising when PNG completely implodes.

This new leader may well be worse than the present one, if that's possible however look at present day Africa. That's what should be worrying everyone including PNG's nearest neighbours right now. Sorry mate. I wish I could offer a better view from where I sit and that's a lot closer than where you are at the moment